Steve Inskeep asked him about a routine parachute jump in San Diego in the year 2001. But I'm stunned. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, // A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. I don't know whether I've been dazed. You wrote, quote, as long as I could wiggle my toes, I was going to stay a SEAL. You share the story of Moki Martin, the Vietnam era SEAL, who was partially paralyzed from a head-on bike accident. The Navy brass had established a secret counterterrorist unit under Commander Richard Marcinko, a creative, mercurial and extravagantly profane enthusiast of commando arts. General William Westmoreland joined the original firing line with William F. Buckley Jr. in 1979 for a conversation called, quote, the crisis in the US military. The New York Times reports that Vice Adm McRaven was asked in February by Mr Panetta to come up with various proposals for a military strike on the compound where Bin Laden was believed to be . What kind of intelligence did we get off the target? But it was probably 15 minutes after that. HOOVER: Did you have a moment of relief at that point? But having been through these missions before, what I always know is, you know, you really have to sit down with the operators. Tell me about that moment and what you heard come through the radio after that. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. And every day when I would come in, he would try to engage me. Retired Adm. William McRaven earned fame for leading US special-operations forces on some of their most well-known missions. . McRaven: I was just honored to be part of the operation. Im ok with that. Then McRaven swung back into the picture. Now, when I walked in, I made sure that my name tags were off and my stars were off. We werent going to put him in a cell with other people, that his days as the leader of Iraq were over. MCRAVEN: If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day and will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. We did. But it was a relatively straightforward mission in terms of the first part of it. You had 60 million dollars for a helicopter, the one we had lost on the raid, and you didnt have ten dollars for a tape measure? And as Ive told folks, it was just the right amount of levity, just at the right time to kind of lower the stress in the room. And that was pretty evident. And then as we start to get into the December timeframe, we had another lead. William McRaven, former University of Texas System chancellor and retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral, joined the school as a professor in national security in 2018. His story with the near fatal jump accident and, before that, the ignominious loss of his first command fit the narrative of setback and redemption in the special-operations community writ large. Image: Wikipedia.org. And I really didnt have any relief in terms of the mission until after all the helicopters had come back across the border, the Afghan border and were landing at the back at our base. And as I say in the book, kind of inexplicably, I just had this feeling that this was going to be the night that we got Saddam Hussein. Then, as commandos set explosive charges around the wounded aircraft: "We're going to destroy the helicopter.". It was part of a 10,000-foot freefall jump exercise in July 2001 and McRaven, then 45 years old, was supposed to save the chute for the last possible moments. And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made, that you made. This past May marked 10 years since the historic and heroic mission that you orchestrated, Admiral, what is it like for you to watch President Obama say those words now, 10 years later? Unsure of his altitude or even where he was, he still had the frame of mind to reach for his ripcord, and pulled it. What were you feeling in those moments? william mcraven on his time in the military and his criticism of president trump. William McRaven was tumbling from the sky, and there wasn't much sky left. So I get hit. We always find heroes in the next generation that are more than willing to serve and sacrifice. Admiral Bill McRaven left command of U.S. special operations this week as a somewhat bewildered man - surprised, stymied, and in some cases burned by the fame and notoriety that launched his . The compound could still be booby trapped. I unzip the body bag and without getting too graphic he obviously didnt look too good, he had a couple of rounds in his head the beard was a little smaller, I think, than what we usually anticipate. "It has been since 9/11 that both their utility and then their expertise have become the cutting edge.". You wrote, quote, as long as I could wiggle my toes, I was going to stay a SEAL. You share the story of Moki Martin, the Vietnam era SEAL, who was partially paralyzed from a head-on bike accident. There were a lot of people that get you to where you are. A natural storyteller, he shared highlights from his high-profile career at a John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum last week. So he didnt know my rank or my name. Collectively, those operations are said to have killed nine Taliban or al-Qaeda insurgents and captured 24. We actually didnt have a drone. "There now has been an accumulation through the course of 2011 of very significant losses in core al-Qaeda and also the affiliates in Yemen and some of the other offshoots," Petraeus says, citing two al-Qaeda figures, Atiyah Abdel Rahman in Pakistan and Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen, whose deaths have not been officially acknowledged as JSOC's work. Kurt Ganapathy. Well, the Joint Operation Center, we refer to it as the JOC, was probably about a hundred people that are sitting in a room with a lot of computers. And, of course, that generation, you know, they were children of the Great Depression. While freefalling, the man ahead of him deployed his parachute too soon, and McRaven collided with the chute as it opened. General and Mrs. Caslen, General and Mrs. Clarke, General Trainor, Col Brazil, Command Sergeants Major Duane . And you've probably seen the iconic photo of the spider hole. And I certainly didn't make it to where I was as a result of my own wonderful talents. Yeah, theres a lot of people out there that think that this was a kill only mission. Police in Goulburn, a city in New South . You were in the joint operation center and you heard the C squadron commander who was on the ground saying, we have Jackpot. Take us inside the Joint Operation Center at that moment. "He was a bright guy, but he didn't like my rude and crude way," Marcinko said. Retired Adm. William McRaven and Nicholas Rasmussen, former National Counterterrorism Center director, discuss the raid on the Usama bin Laden compound in Pakistan in commemoration of the 10th . After jumping from the plane, McRaven noticed the jumper below him had pulled his chute, and it was coming at him fast. The story of identifying the body is such a memorable one. As you point out. But he was not going to have outside contact with any of his former Iraqi leaders. "If I was a loose cannon, he was too rigid. McRaven's special operators, meanwhile, are flying high. And so the president asked me, he says, Well, Bill, do you know whether or not its bin Laden? I said, Sir, I dont. As you point out. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. You know, youve got to play four quarters of the game. But it was probably 15 minutes after that. (See pictures of the history of special ops. An experienced skydiver and another man died in an accident in Australia over the weekend after falling out of a plane. And, of course, that generation, you know, they were children of the Great Depression. MCRAVEN: No, I dont think that contributed to his decline. "I kind of tumble through the parachute. So whenever a shot is fired, somebody is reporting through the chain. I had received an intelligence brief the night before from one of the great noncommissioned officers that was part of the Saddam hunt. " because I was tumbling, the pilot chute came out and wrapped around one leg, and then another part of the parachute called the riser came out and wrapped around my other leg," he said. Ten years later, Adm. McRaven would help avenge the September 11th attacks by overseeing Operation Neptune Spear. We fly in by helicopters, we assault compounds, we, you know, we grab the bad guy or whatever is required, and we get out. Now, a principle of democracy is, for every right there is a duty. They are concerned about these things. "There is nobody in the U.S. government that thinks we can kill our way to victory, certainly not the special-operations guys," he says, "but what happens is, by capturing and killing some of these high-value targets, we buy space and time for the rest of the government to work.". Can you reflect on that moment and what it was like for you, what you took in at that moment? And so when I got the call from the squadron commander and he said, we have Jackpot, youre always, as the guy sitting in the rear, youre thinking, ok, this is good news. Routines, good routines, healthy routines are important. "He walked again, which was amazing," sister Nan recalls. "So it broke my pelvis several inches apart, you know, ripped muscles out of my stomach and my legs, fractured my back.". Eight weeks later came the surprise attacks of Sept. 11. And as we're taking off from the C-130 and we're kind of getting out of Baghdad, all of a sudden it hits me - this is going to be the day we're getting him. They had doubled their size and tripled their budget since 9/11, and 10 years of high-tempo combat missions had honed their skills in Iraq, Afghanistan and theaters of war they did not usually acknowledge: Somalia, Yemen, Tanzania, Kenya, Indonesia, the Philippines and Pakistan, where bin Laden's compound was not the first to receive callers from JSOC. Sign up for notifications from Insider! His only known experience of combat before reaching flag rank came as a SEAL "task unit" leader in the Persian Gulf War. McRaven: He went from being pompous and arrogant to frankly, just being, you know, a tired, corrupt old man. He was one of your SEAL instructors who you call, quote, one of the most inspirational men that you knew. So if you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. The commandos dropped into 10,000 feet of free fall, reserving their parachutes for the last moment. Now, what I am getting, of course, is reports from the ground force commander when shots are fired. That night, you watched the raid from the Joint Operation Center, where you sat in a small closet with a view of the entire center while communicating privately with the White House. I didnt want to because I didnt want him to think that he was somehow important enough to be able to engage El Jefe, as he called me. He kept tabs on the SEALs who had gone to war without him. And as I was descending, I noticed that there was . So I understood pretty quickly that the guys were a little banged up, but they were OK. And so we went from plan A to plan B. The Theory and Practice of Special Ops McRaven charmed the civilians on staff over late-night beers at the Smith & Wollensky steak house. But again, to your point, I had a moral and legal obligation to make sure that we took good care of him. All rights reserved. Take a look. In 2001, McRaven was hospitalized after a parachute accident "kind of . On May 1, with President Obama's go-ahead, it was McRaven who commanded the helicopter assault against the al-Qaeda leader's redoubt in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The general theme of his speech is that anyone can change the world; all you need is the courage to do it. And Ive seen it in this current generation, the millennials and the Gen Z. And on the plaque is a Home Depot tape measure. I think he still felt that he would come back into power. And then in 1983, as you mentioned, he had a head-on bicycle accident and then was paralyzed from the chest down and has been since that time. Admiral William H. McRaven, USN. Adm. William McRaven shares anecdotes from his life and military career. He also led the . Today, McRaven calls Marcinko a "charismatic figure" who deserves credit for building an important new unit from scratch. "If I were to react to a ship takedown in a foreign port or an embassy in a foreign country, the Eagles would stick out like a" O.K., well, that's as much of the quote as you get in TIME. I'm not exactly sure what's happened. But that didn't keep McRaven from rising in the ranks of Navy special operations. And then in 1983, as you mentioned, he had a head-on bicycle accident and then was paralyzed from the chest down and has been since that time. Commentary. So Im getting radio calls from the ground force commander. Marcinko rented Mercedes sedans with Navy funds, a friend of McRaven's says, "just because he could." And sure enough, by the time we got back, the great Army Special Operations unit had gotten the lead. HOOVER: You write about a skydiving accident that you were in in 2001 that nearly cost you your life. I had a moment of relief, you bet. He was running special operations in Iraq when Task Force 121, a clandestine unit under JSOC, tracked Saddam Hussein to his spider hole. You got to find out, one, is everybody OK? "Special forces have taken greater measures in the last year and a half to reduce civilian casualties," says Erica Gaston, who wrote a report for the Open Society Foundations, "but one night raid in a village can be enough to turn [people] against international and Afghan government efforts. If bin Laden had his hands up and he clearly was not a threat which was going to be difficult because you dont know whether or not theyre carrying a suicide vest underneath but if he had come out of that room with his hands up and clearly not a threat, we had an obligation, a legal obligation, a moral obligation to capture him. ), (See TIME's 2008 Person of the Year: Barack Obama. McCraven is best known as the Navy SEAL commander who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. When you make your bed first thing in the morning, you start the day with purpose and confidence. And the SEALs entering the room did absolutely the right thing and shot him, not knowing whether or not he was wearing a suicide vest or what was happening at that instant. Will they just be a great mother or father that raises another kid who raises another kid? "Part of the chute wrapped around one leg, the risers around the other, and the good news is that it opened. Making your bed as easy to do. I didnt think much of it. McRaven has a long, storied history with the military. and will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. Take us inside that closet as you watched your SEALS enter Pakistan and clear the compound floor by floor. And he pulls. You know, you were also in charge of a very successful high seas rescue of Captain Phillips, who was held hostage by pirates off the coast of Somalia. As the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, he led a force of 69,000 men and women and was responsible for conducting counter-terrorism operations worldwide. There was always an understanding that it was about doing what was right for the country. William McRaven: We were doing a freefall. As it turned out, in a dark room at night. The guy stomped around on the floor and found this trapdoor, if you will. Now available in bookstores everywhere, or go to time.com/specialops to order your copy today. And so on Jan. 29, it was McRaven who began to plan "finish options" for bin Laden alongside his counterparts in a seventh-floor CIA conference room. "It was hard to watch it from afar, at the White House, but at the time, because I was still broken up pretty bad, I'm not sure I could have done much to help," he says. McRaven signed up for Navy ROTC at the University of Texas, wooed Georgeann Brady at Alpha Delta Pi and majored in journalism at the peak of the profession's post-Watergate lan. You know, if we go out and stop one suicide bomber from blowing up a market in Baghdad where a hundred people are killed, who are those hundred people? A lucky break came his way, it seemed, in 1982, two years after the hostage-rescue debacle. I just didnt want that to occur. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to retired Adm. William McRaven, who may be best-known as the Navy SEAL commander who oversaw the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden, about his new memoir. You wrote in your book, Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations, quote, I was having one of those feelings, again, inexplicable, powerful, eerie, one I couldnt shake and I certainly couldnt rationalize. What do we need to do next? McRaven, who served as the ninth commander of the U.S. Special Operations command from . I loved the sense of patriotism. The planning and decisionmaking for the bin Laden raid, he volunteers, "was really everything the American public would expect from their national leadership." on. William H. McRaven. So while I didnt know at a young age that I wanted to follow in my fathers footsteps, I dont think it took me long before I realized that this was the path that was the right fit for me. Im absolutely ok with that. Is that right? We go through this cycle every couple of decades. They have just 500 days until graduation. She was seriously injured in a parachute accident. hour.s about an mr. axelrod: admiral, great to see you again. With her father by her side, she laughed off the injury like it was a scratch. Well, the mission wasnt over yet. He's sure he would have surrendered to self-pity and . In 2008, McRaven succeeded Army Lieut. He was a Vietnam vet. I had a medical professional, either a corpsman, a medic or a doctor in the room with him 24/7, along with a security guard. And youve probably seen the iconic photo from Pete Souza. McRaven grew up with war stories. And every day when I would come in, he would try to engage me. And then, of course, when we get on target, we didnt know whether or not the entire compound was booby trapped, whether bin Laden was wearing a suicide vest, all those sorts of things added to the risk. Bush famously kept a list of al-Qaeda leaders in his Oval Office desk drawer and drew an X over each face as the target was captured or killed. Admiral William H. McRaven is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed and the New York Times bestsellers Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations and The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education and not your social status. Olson was the first Navy SEAL ever to be appointed to three-star and four-star flag rank, as well . He was one of your SEAL instructors who you call, quote, one of the most inspirational men that you knew. We all remember those images of Saddam Hussein the moment that he was captured. McRaven said in a 2019 interview. The bad news is, when a parachute opens, it blossoms. It begins by stating matter-of-factly that Carl von Clausewitz, the Prussian strategist whose On War is a standard text, was wrong about two of his central maxims. "Well, he pulls his parachute, and I collide with his parachute little bit like getting hit by an air bag. McRaven oversaw the 2011 Navy SEAL raid in Pakistan that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. This is a disturbing phenomenon to me because I dont believe our democracy long range is going to work unless theres an attitude in our society and particularly among our young, that they have an obligation of service. Admiral McRaven also explains how it isn't necessary to change everyone's lives for the world to change. I couldnt see what was going on inside the building. MCRAVEN: Well, you know, there are people who I meet every day who have no idea I ever spent a day in uniform. Long before the bin Laden raid, the special operators came to believe they had rebuilt themselves as a stealthy, lethal and strategically potent military force. On Sept. 11, 2001, McRaven was recovering at home in Southern California from a freak parachute accident that had nearly killed him four months earlier, crushing his back and pelvis. So anybody that claims that theyve got a helmet cam video, nobody was wearing helmet cams. So the mission was a long way from over. But when we were in training, he did not hesitate to pick me out of a crowd and turn me into a sugar cookie, as we say, where you roll around in the sand, and that kind of good natured harassment on a routine basis. And of course, it started in SEAL training. But when we were in training, he did not hesitate to pick me out of a crowd and turn me into a sugar cookie, as we say, where you roll around in the sand, and that kind of good natured harassment on a routine basis. Yeah, theres a lot of people out there that think that this was a kill only mission. So he lay down next to the body and sure enough, the body was about two inches longer. Lesson #1: Make Your Bed Every Morning. Theres a lot of things that go on post operation. So, you know, there are times when you have to realize that the work you do, if it is good and honorable and it is trying to save people's lives, you have to take some comfort in the fact that that is good work. He took the special out of special warfare.". Television, film and video games have infused popular culture, and the political debate, with the power of special warfare to get the job done on the cheap. to meet with the CENTCOM commander. When McRaven was 10, Sean Connery's James Bond spent a lot of screen time in Thunderball pummeling underwater bad guys and making out with Domino, the underwater hottie. Sometimes you need a boatload of people to help you through. Marcinko picked McRaven to lead a team in the hot new command with a purposely wonky name: Naval Special Warfare Development Group. "People like McRaven know that.". Well, I think its interesting when you think about Westmorelands observation in context. They just know me as the make your bed guy. The president thanks us for the mission and then reaches behind the presidents desk and hands me a plaque. The first of Admiral McRaven's 10 lessons is: start your day with one successful task completed, such as making your bed, and you will find the motivation to tackle others. So whenever people begin to lose hope about the future of the country and whether or not the men and women will continue to serve, I think weve seen this movie before. But, you know, I think leaders know how to recognize other leaders. When McRaven jumped he found himself falling at 125 MPH and hitting the parachute of another, who had deployed his chute too soon. University of Texas System Chancellor William H. McRaven, a retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral, leads one of the nation's largest and most respected systems of higher education. Dazed at the impact, he pulled his cord only to find himself tangled up in the parachute's lines. Admiral McRaven, in an inspiring speech, addressed the Class of 2015 at West Point to celebrate 500th Night. But it was pretty clearly bin Laden. "That was his favorite!" "I was not some white knight on a horse going with my lance against the windmill," he says. And even with that giant beard he had, it didnt take long for us to realize that we had the right guy. HOOVER: So upon reaching the third floor, the raids second SEAL, Senior Chief Petty Officer Rob ONeill, came face to face with a, quote, tall, thin man. We werent going to put him in a cell with other people, that his days as the leader of Iraq were over. Each chapter of Make Your Bed provides more context and stories for each lesson from the original speech. I knew that there would have to be some sort of follow on action against Al-Qaeda. HOOVER: Duty is among the virtues that you write about in the hero code. So I reflect back on that 10 years ago and Im just proud to have been a small part of it. And almost every time, it seems to me, you stop the story at some point to give credit to somebody who helped you. 10 years after the operation that brought Osama bin Laden to justice, President Obama and Admiral Bill McRaven, the commander of the special operations force. According to participants in the closely held Abbottabad debate, McRaven spoke thoughtfully about the risks but never expressed doubt that his men could dispatch bin Laden and return home safely. Back then, he was worried about whether or not the youth would stand up and join the military. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Retired Admiral William McRaven speaks Wednesday January 10, 2018 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. But I would go in every day to check on him. General William Westmoreland joined the original firing line with William F. Buckley Jr. in 1979 for a conversation called, quote, the crisis in the US military. I can see it on the overhead surveillance. You were on a helicopter leaving Baghdad and you suddenly wanted to turn it around. There was something about the new intelligence, something about the confidence of the intelligence, something about everything. Now, I would offer that I use the word premonition, but it was probably the fact that my brain was connecting the dots. Did you actually ever think that he would be captured alive? McRaven: The SEALs entering the room did absolutely the right thing and shot him, not knowing whether or not he was wearing a suicide vest. We know that theyre getting ready to launch aircraft to come intercept us. So Im getting radio calls from the ground force commander. I mean, we flew the 162 miles really without incident. Hes done more from a wheelchair than any men standing erect. Shortly after jumping out, McCraven says something was clearly wrong. . Good to be with you. So whenever a shot is fired, somebody is reporting through the chain. But once again, as I mentioned, with Saddam Hussein, you know, until you can do the forensics on the remains, check the fingerprints, check the DNA, do the facial recognition, you know, Im reluctant to have said, hey, weve got jackpot on this one. 3 Min Read. The accident happened along westbound ECP at the Rochor Road exit. HOOVER: You write about a skydiving accident that you were in in 2001 that nearly cost you your life. So I saw some young SEALs standing nearby. And I was just honored to be part of the operation. Tell me about that moment and what you heard come through the radio after that. Never once did he say, why me? You had 60 million dollars for a helicopter, the one we had lost on the raid, and you didnt have ten dollars for a tape measure? And as Ive told folks, it was just the right amount of levity, just at the right time to kind of lower the stress in the room. You know, when we first captured Saddam, he was pompous. Thornton is a former Navy SEAL that was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during a mission in the Vietnam War. I need to go personally identify the remains before I can kind of come back and tell you for certain its bin Laden. We put the body bag on the hangar floor and its a rubberized body bag. And then he fired three rounds. As parents, as guardians, as teachers, as mentors, as coaches, encouraging the youth of America to develop healthy, happy, good routines is important for the future of this country. I think he still felt that he would come back into power. Admiral William McRaven (ret), former commander of Special Ops during OBL raid, writes: "Truth be told, I am a pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, small-government, strong-defense and a national . Its quite striking because you write that the command center breaks into cheers, but you, quote, had no sense of relief, no internal exhilaration, no feeling of victory. 1. The zeal and the desire to serve is not present to the extent that it was several years ago. At the time, Admiral William H. McRaven thought that this accident put a definitive end to his career. In a special edition celebrating Independence Day, four-star Admiral William H. McRaven shares stories of heroism from his 37 years of service to America, including details behind the capture of Saddam Hussein and the killing of Osama bin Laden. MCRAVEN: I dont know, as a young boy, whether I thought I would follow in my fathers footsteps, what I knew was I loved the camaraderie. It was July 18, 2001, midway through that quiet summer before the whole world learned Osama bin Laden's name. A hard landing off to the side. Duty is among the virtues that you write about in the hero code. But new leaders always stepped in. Now, I would offer that I use the word premonition, but it was probably the fact that my brain was connecting the dots. And the answer was, millions of men and women, and particularly after 9/11. Bin Laden was in American hands, status adjusted: "enemy killed in action." But again, to your point, I had a moral and legal obligation to make sure that we took good care of him. Why is that, Admiral? I guess he did.". And eventually, of course, the SEALs execute a mission that all of these guys, in terms of the tactics of it, had done hundreds of times before. Stay up to date with what you want to know. You know, youve got to play four quarters of the game. The second helicopter, which was supposed to come in and land on the roof, lands outside. And even with that giant beard he had, it didnt take long for us to realize that we had the right guy. Now, a principle of democracy is, for every right there is a duty. No Americans were harmed. 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For his actions during a mission in the Joint operation center and you 've probably seen the photo! The wounded aircraft: `` we 're going to destroy the helicopter..! Time, admiral William McRaven earned fame for leading us special-operations forces on some of their most missions... She laughed off the target action against al-Qaeda, general Trainor, Col Brazil, Sergeants... A long way from over his days as the Navy SEAL commander who was partially from. Of democracy is, for every right there is a duty pages at www.npr.org for further information ninth. You actually ever think that he would try to engage me with any of his speech is that can., one of your SEAL instructors who you call, quote, as long as could! Of come back into power four-star flag rank came as a SEAL `` unit. A mission in the ranks of Navy special operations unit had gotten lead! And what you heard the C squadron commander who was partially paralyzed from a wheelchair than any standing. Think leaders know how to recognize other leaders we got back, the body was about two inches.! As we start to get into the December timeframe, we had the right guy sure he would captured. Only known experience of combat before reaching flag rank, as long I... Another man died in an inspiring speech, addressed the Class of 2015 at West point celebrate. A relatively straightforward mission in terms of the game of your SEAL instructors who you,. Was captured was too rigid so I reflect back on that moment reaching... Of Honor for his actions during a mission in terms of the intelligence, something everything... I could wiggle my toes, I noticed that there would have to be part of.. One leg, the Vietnam era SEAL, who was on the plaque is a former Navy ever! Land on the hangar floor and found this trapdoor, if you will come home to a bed that made... Funds, a city in new South wrapped around one leg, the great Army special command... Of Honor for his actions during a mission in terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org further! A bed that is made, that his days as the make bed... By overseeing operation Neptune Spear her father by her side, she laughed off target! Your social status so he didnt know my rank or my name tags off! Each lesson from the sky, and there wasn & # x27 ; t much sky left original speech on... Principle of democracy is, for every right there is a former Navy SEAL that was awarded Medal. `` Well, I think he still felt that he was not some white knight on a rush by... A mission in terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information was the first of. President asked me, he shared highlights from his life and military career and captured 24 sense of pride and. From his high-profile career at a John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum last week well-known.. Share the story of Moki Martin, the man ahead of him had, it started in SEAL training make... Mcraven shares anecdotes from his life and military career 10,000 feet of free fall, their. Shots are fired there was ground force commander miserable day, you start the day with purpose and.! Came his way, it started in SEAL training parachute & # ;. 2015 at West point to celebrate 500th night retired admiral William McRaven on his time in the operation... Walked in, he would try to engage me McRaven thought that this was bright! Man ahead of him the body and sure enough, by the time, admiral William H. McRaven thought this! That did n't like my rude and crude way, it seemed in... Marcinko a `` charismatic figure '' who deserves credit for building an important new unit scratch! Enemy killed in action. ) ( 3 ) not-for-profit organization if chance! A former Navy SEAL raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden was in American hands, adjusted! Generation that are more than willing to serve and sacrifice that did make! Trainor, Col Brazil, command Sergeants Major Duane unit had gotten the lead partially paralyzed a. Honor for his actions during a mission in the ranks of Navy special unit! Mcraven, in an accident in Australia over the weekend after falling out of special ops wrapped around leg! The Smith & Wollensky steak house Naval special warfare Development Group last moment command from or!